photographer Lehel Kelemen

Paris Fashion Week update #6 – Issey Miyake and Balenciaga

Paris Fashion Week is fashion month’s cherry on the cake. The City of Love’s Fashion Week is home to many established names, juxtaposed with their younger colleagues. These younger counterparts often show their progressive view on fashion and sustainability, where established labels rely on their signature look and feel. This results in an interesting mix of designers, trends and cultures. Fashion Week translates the city into a melting pot of young and old, traditional and progressive and everything in between. Therefore, we provide daily updates about the shows, collections and the stories behind them. Today: Issey Miyake, Balenciaga and Each x Other.

Check out the complete Paris Fashion Week schedule here.

Cover photo: © Lehel Kelemen

Paris Fashion Week

The great thing is that Paris Fashion Week is home to many female designers. Take for example Sarah Burton (Alexander McQueen, Claire Wright Keller (Givenchy), Stella McCartney and Virginie Viard (Chanel) – all great women who show during Paris Fashion Week. We can’t longer suppress our excitement. Luckily, we don’t have to, since PFW is in full force. Read everything about Issey Miyake, Balenciaga and Each x Other below.

Looking for the complete schedule of all fashion weeks? Check it out here.

Issey Miyake

With his first fall collection, creative director Satoshi Kondo wanted to focus on a hopeful future, in combination with the “relationship between clothes and the body and the space in between“. With his “Making Speaking, Speaking Making” collection, this worked out well.

While people hoped to witness a new spectacle (referring to the dancers last season), they had to leave somehow disappointed. However, the seamless knitwear came close and was fun to watch. It linked models together by their cuffs, scarves or sleeves – showing a sense of literal togetherness, where the first looks focused on individuality instead.

Kondo adapted his collection to the capricious weather – or maybe as a metaphor for today’s society? Whatever he meant, it looked very comfy and innovative. We expect that detachable puffer jacket and pants will dominate the streets next winter.

On top of this, Kondo experimented with different fabrics and materials, very signature Miyake. And it worked out well: take for example paper juxtaposed with wool. A combination that doesn’t sound like a match, but somehow perfectly blends when Kondo creates garments from those materials. At last, there were some very, very strong minimalistic looks, like we’re used to at the renowned fashion house. Overall, we can conclude Kondo is entirely in control of Miyake’s heritage and capable of translating it to modern themes. Well done.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MO0W-gC8q/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MPXOmgKf6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9MTjz4gy1X/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PLm5HgbBU/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9L-pmOhFZT/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PcywPIt0w/

Balenciaga

Demna Gvasalia created a sinister atmosphere and a bunch of dark characters. When arriving, guests had to find their way into a sheer darkness. Soon they would discover that the venue’s floor was fully covered with a small layer of water. Gvasalia knows how to become the talk of town and how to create immersive experiences. This was one of them.

When the show started, the models walked “on water”. Water on which clouds, skies and birds were projected. Gvasalia later explained: “I just wanted something quite emotionally triggering and quite sad, and I thought about flood.” The accompanying music created an intense atmosphere, strengthening the entire setting and message.

The first looks were all-black, almost fetishistic and gothic – even a bit spiritual with models walking on water. Later on, the creative director explained that he’s always been fascinated by priests wearing dresses, while he couldn’t as a boy. Eventually, the outfits started to change. From monastic long, black coats to a more tailored and casual attire. The closing looks were total opposites: Balanciaga soccer tenues versus fully sequined jumpsuits and chic gowns. It’s typically Gvasalia: innovative, yet familiar and ever provocative. A show to remember.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Mu0cMnbBT/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PlQxpFw2E/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PkURuBYm6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9Omd9PHdGX/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9OmSmaH3LP/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9PjlhkoohB/

Check out the best of Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 here.

READ MORE_